PROPOSAL Appendix D – page 1

RP 2007-18 Rev. 0
DNV-OS-F101 Submarine Pipeline Systems

APPENDIX D
NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)
Contents
G. Non-Destructive Testing of Plate and Coil at Mill
H. Non-Destructive Testing of Linepipe at Pipe Mills

H. Non-Destructive Testing of Linepipe at Pipe Mills

H 100 General
H 200 Suspect pipe
H 300 Repair of suspect pipe
H 400 General requirements for automated NDT systems

H 500 Visual examination and residual magnetism

Visual examination, general
501 Visual examination shall be carried out in a sufficiently illuminated area; minimum 350 lx, but 500 lx is
recommended. If required to obtain good contrast and relief effect between imperfections and background
additional light sources shall be used.
502 For direct examination the access shall generally permit placing the eye within 600mm of the surface to
be examined and at an angle of not less than approximately 30°. If this is not possible then the use of mirrors,
boroscopes, fibre optics or cameras shall be considered.
503 A sufficient amount of tools, gauges, measuring equipment and other devices shall be available at the
place of examination.
504 The objects to be examined shall be cleaned to remove loose scale and processing compounds that may
interfere with the examination. The cleaning process shall not injure the surface finish or mask possible
imperfections.
505 Subject to agreement, alternative methods of testing may be accepted if the alternative test method is
documented as required in H506 and the alternative test method is demonstrated to give at least the same
sensitivity and capability in detection of imperfections.

506 The demonstration of the alternative test method shall be based upon the principles given in Subsection
F and using sample lengths of pipe similar to those ordered. The pipes shall contain a representative and agreed
size range of natural and/or artificial defects of types that are typical for the manufacturing process in question.

Visual examination of welds in linepipe

507 Each linepipe weld shall be subject to 100% visual examination in accordance with ISO 17637. For
CMn steel linepipe with internal diameter (ID) ≥ 610, the internal weld shall be 100% visually inspected. The
internal weld of C-Mn linepipe with ID < 610 mm shall be inspected from both ends as far as access permits.

508 The internal weld and adjacent surfaces in duplex stainless steel, CRA and clad linepipe shall be
inspected full length. If necessary, the inspection of the internal weld shall be assisted by a boroscope, video
endoscope or similar equipment.
509 Welds shall meet the requirements of Table D-4.
510 Line pipe containing welds not meeting the requirements above shall be classified as suspect pipe
PROPOSAL Appendix D – page 2
RP 2007-18 Rev. 0
DNV-OS-F101 Submarine Pipeline Systems
according to H200, and treated according to H300.

Visual examination of all linepipe

511 End preparation such as bevelling shall meet the specified requirements.
512 The internal weld bead shall be removed by grinding for a distance of at least 100mm from each pipe
end, and the height of the remaining weld bead shall not extend above the adjacent pipe surface by more than
0.5 mm.
513 If specified, the external weld bead shall be removed by grinding for a distance of at least 150mm from
each pipe end. The transition between base material and weld metal shall be smotth and the height of the
remaining weld beads shall not extend above the adjacent pipe surface by more than 0.5 mm.
514 Two or more adjacent imperfections shall be considered as one imperfection if they are separated by
less than the smaller dimension of either indication.

Cracks
515 Cracks are not acceptable and shall be classified as defects.

Cold formed notches and sharp bottom gouges

516 Cold formed notches and sharp bottom gouges (sharp bottom defects) with a depth exceeding 3% of the
nominal wall thickness or 0.5 mm, whichever is greater, shall be classified as defects.

Dents
517 Dents with cold-formed notches and sharp bottom gouges deeper than 0.5 mm or 3%, whichever is
higher, of the nominal wall thickness are not acceptable regardless of length or depth.
For dents without any cold formed notches and sharp bottom gouges, the length in any direction shall be ≤ 0.5 D
and the depth, measured as the gap between the extreme point of the dent and the prolongation of the normal
contour of the pipe, shall not exceed 6.0 mm.
For dents with acceptable cold-formed notches and sharp bottom gouges the depth of dents shall not exceed 3.0
mm.
Dents exceeding these dimensions shall be classified as defects.

Hard spots
518 Irregularities in the pipe curvature of cold-formed welded linepipe that may be caused by uneven
hardness distribution shall be investigated to determine the hardness and dimensions of the area.
For linepipe intended for non sour service the hardness shall not exceed;
— 300 HV10 for C-Mn steels, or;
— the values given in Section 7, Table 7-11, for the material in question.
For linepipe intended for sour service (Supplementary requirement S) the hardness shall not exceed:
— 250 HV10 C-Mn steel; and
— for other steels, maximum allowable hardness according to ISO 15156-3.
Hard spots outside the hardness requirements for the applicable material larger than 50mm in any direction and
within 100 mm of the pipe ends regardless of size shall be classified as defects.

Other surface imperfections

519 Other surface imperfections disclosed by visual examination are not permitted if their depth exceeds:
— 0.02 t and maximum 0.5 mm for welded linepipe
— 0.05 t for seamless linepipe
Imperfections shall be dressed-out by grinding. Ground areas shall blend smoothly into the surrounding material.
Complete removal of defects shall be verified by local visual inspection and, if necessary, aided by suitable NDT
inspection methods. The remaining wall thickness in the ground area shall be checked by ultrasonic wall
thickness measurements to verify that that the thickness of the remaining material is more than the specified
minimum. Imperfections that encroach on the minimum permissible wall thickness shall be classified as defects.
PROPOSAL Appendix D – page 3
RP 2007-18 Rev. 0
DNV-OS-F101 Submarine Pipeline Systems
The sum of the ground area shall not exceed 10% of the sum of the external and internal surface area of each
pipe.

Disposition of pipe containing defects

520 Linepipe containing defects shall be rejected or the area containing defects can be cut off. If pipes are cut,
the minimum specified length shall be met after cutting and all NDT pertaining to pipe ends shall be performed
on the new pipe end

Residual magnetism
521 The longitudinal magnetic field shall be measured on pipe with OD ≥ 168,3 mm and all smaller pipe
that is inspected full length by magnetic methods or is handled by magnetic equipment prior to loading.
— The measurements shall be taken on the root face or square cut face of finished pipe. Measurements made
on pipe in stacks are not considered valid.
— Measurements shall be made on each end of a pipe, for 5% of the pipes produced but at least once per 4
hr per operating shift using a Hall-effect gaussmeter or other type of calibrated instrument. In case of
dispute, measurements made with a Hall-effect gaussmeter shall govern. Measurements shall be made in
accordance with a written procedure demonstrated to produce accurate results.
— Pipe magnetism shall be measured subsequent to any inspection that uses a magnetic field, prior to
loading for shipment from the pipemill.
— Four readings shall be taken ≈ 90° apart around the circumference of each end of the pipe.

Acceptance criterion
522 The average of the four readings shall be less or equal to 3,0 mT (30 Gauss), and no single reading
shall exceed 3,5 mT (35 Gauss). Any pipe that does not meet this requirement shall be considered defective.

Disposition of defective pipe

523 All pipes produced between the defective pipe and the last acceptable pipe shall be individually
measured unless the provisions of 522 can be applied.
524 If the pipe production sequence is documented, pipe may be measured in reverse sequence, beginning
with the pipe produced immediately prior to the defective pipe, until at least three consecutively produced pipes
meet the requirements.
— Pipe produced prior to these three acceptable pipes need not be measured; and
— Pipe produced after the defective pipe shall be measured individually until at least three consecutive pipes
meet the requirements.
525 All defective pipe shall be de-magnetized full length, and then their magnetism shall be re-measured
until at least three consecutive pipes meet the requirements of 522.
526 For pipe handled with electromagnetic equipment after measurement of magnetism, such handling shall
be performed in a manner demonstrated not to cause residual magnetism exceeding the acceptance criteria in
522.
527 The requirements for residual magnetism shall apply only to testing within the pipe mill since the
residual magnetism in pipe may be affected by procedures and conditions imposed on the pipe during and after
shipment.